The Great War shakes the world of a spirited young woman and the brave British pilot she loves, taking her from London to her family’s magnificent country estate, and sending him into the war-torn skies over France.

Penny Ramsey has always considered Highland Hall her home, but when Britain becomes involved in World War One she travels to London to assist her sister Kate with the eight orphan children she and her husband Jon have taken into their home. Doing her part for the war effort takes priority over Penny’s dreams of romance until she meets Alex Goodwin, a Royal Naval Air Service pilot in training.

Alex is determined to prove his worth and do his part to defend his country. Knowing he is heading off for the dangerous assignment of chasing Zeppelins across the front line in France, he feels it’s unwise to form any romantic attachments. But he can’t help admiring the pretty, warmhearted Penny and wondering what it would be like to find her waiting when he returns home from the war.

As Penny writes to Alex, their friendship blossoms, and she becomes his tie to home and normalcy as he faces the hardships war. But being an RNAS pilot means confronting the enemy, and the fallout form those experiences push Alex beyond Penny’s reach. Can God mend the brokenness left by the losses of war? Will faith and forgiveness bring them together again?

A Refuge at Highland Hall takes us back to the beautiful English countryside and the manor house of the Ramsey family. This time around we delve into the story of Penny Ramsey and Alex Goodwin who is a Royal Naval Air Service pilot. Much to my delight there is also a secondary romance that involves Lydia Chambers, a lady's maid, and Marius Ritter who is a German prisoner of war working on the estate.

The story begins in London in 1915. That time period is fraught with danger as England is about to enter into World War I. Once the bombings of London begin Penny and her sister Kate take the eight orphan children to Highland Hall to wait out the war.

While Highland Hall may be safe from the bombs there is still danger that lurks. You can't help but be drawn in to all the drama that swirls around the people involved in the story. Kate's husband Jon is a physician and must stay in London to care for the wounded. Alex is called up to fight the enemy which is beyond dangerous. Meanwhile the women must deal with situations that arise with the children and the estate.

If you are looking for a book that has a Downton Abbey feel then you will enjoy this. There is drama with the family and drama with the servants all in a setting of an aristocratic family manor home.

This is book three in the series and can be read as a stand alone novel. However there are numerous references to the previous two books so if you plan to read them all it would be best to read them in order to avoid spoilers. Book one is The Governess of Highland Hall and book two is The Daughter of Highland Hall.